Gas Insulated Substations Best Practices

Featuring a tour of a GIS substation, this technical symposium will review GIS technology and detail current design trends and maintenance solutions for gas insulated substations. Utilizing both technical presentations and case studies from leading utilities, attendees will be provided with a sound understanding of GIS capabilities as well as real-world examples of the regulatory, business, and aesthetic considerations involved in selecting and constructing GIS substations. In addition, experts will cover technical and commercial capabilities, review greenhouse gas issues, illustrate how to replace aging infrastructure with GIS, review considerations for selecting indoor and outdoor GIS, commissioning, constraints and challenges from an engineer's perspective, assessments of AIS and GIS alternatives, and the utilization of GIS in other countries.

Gas insulated substations (GIS) offer many advantages over traditional substation designs. Utilizing Sulphur Hexaflouride or SF6 to insulate between the active and non-active components of a substation can dramatically reduce the clearance distances and provide greater design flexibility in congested urban areas where space is at a premium. The flexibility of GIS substations provides the ability to design and build high-capacity substations underground in existing buildings as well as in other untraditional substation locations.

Further, GIS technology allows greater flexibility in substation design, permitting expansion and modification of existing air insulated substation (AIS) through the integration of GIS components. GIS substations require less maintenance and repair than traditional substations and are less subject to environmental harms such as inclement weather, snow, pollution, dust, and wind. By enclosing gas insulated substations, utilities can reduce noise and safety concerns, while improving community aesthetics.